In the recently held Congress Working Committee meet, party president Rahul Gandhi too laid emphasis on the need to boost women representation in Congress at all levels.

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Supriya Bhardwaj

New Delhi

February 23, 2018

UPDATED: February 23, 2018 23:03 IST

Mahila Congress has pressed into action already by charting strategies to motivate women to join the party.

HIGHLIGHTS

Congress aims at greater women representation in the party

Rahul Gandhi will address all-women rally in Karnataka's Bijapur district

It will roll out party's plans to rope in more women in the party

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is all set to address an all-women public meeting, Stree Shakti Samavesh, in Bijapur district of Karnataka during his three-day campaign starting February 24.

This public meeting will roll out the party's plans to rope in more women into its fold, with Mahila Congress pressing into action already by charting outreach strategies.

In the recently held Congress Working Committee meet, party president Rahul Gandhi too laid emphasis on the need to boost women representation in Congress at all levels.

Sushmita Deb, Mahila Congress President, said, "The vision of Congress president includes greater participation of women in the party and electoral politics. He is very clear that capable women who are willing to compete and have potential must be encouraged."

Deb added, "Congress president is committed to increasing representation of women but we don't want tickets only because we are women. We want it because many women actually deserve it. Mahila Congress has huge cadre and it is an asset to the election process. We realise politics is competitive and so Mahila Congress will undertake a process of identifying women with potential. It will be an objective procedure. It will look at grass root women leaders."

The restructuring of Mahila Congress had initially started during Shobha Ozas tenure as the Mahila Congress chief.

Rahul Gandhi, the then vice president of the party, had clearly given instructions that women and youth should be given bigger platforms in Congress at all levels.

Recalling various challenges that the Mahila Congress faced, Shobha Oza said, "Rahulji always had a vision for greater participation of women. And Rahulji in a way wanted to implement 33 per cent reservation formula within the party. Mahila Congress first challenge then (during her tenure) was to rebuild the organisation keeping changing political system in mind."

Oza regularly organised protests across the country to raise various women-related issues.

"From block level to national level, our women leaders hit the streets so that they could be seen and heard raising issues that impact women across India," Oza added.